nmap

nmap is a great application that has many uses & features. While better know for port scanning & host identification, it can also perform host discovery by running a simple ping scan on a network. A ping scan can be ran on an individual hostname, IP, or IP range. To run a ping sweep or scan, run the following command:

nmap -sn [10.0.0.0/24 | 10.0.0.1-254 | 10.0.0.44]

For example:

nmap -sn 10.0.0.0/24

As you can see, you are returned a list of hosts on the network that responded to ping requests.

Nmap has many great features and options. One of the most popular uses is for Operating System detection, also know as OS detection. To run an OS detection scan on a hostname or IP, run the following command:

Nmap has many great features and options. One of the most popular uses is for service & application version detection. To run a service and application version scan on a hostname or IP, run the following command: